Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN!
Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2018.

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Thursday, August 2, 2018

Seavers in the News -- Estate of Bertha M. Seaver of Chicago in 1959

It's time for another edition of "Seavers in the News" - a semi-regular feature from the historical newspapers about persons with the surname Seaver that are interesting, useful, mysterious, fun, macabre, or add information to my family tree database.

This week's entry is from the Chicago [Ill.] Tribune newspaper dated 21 March 1959:

The transcription of this obituary is:

"ESTATE WORTH $1,588,461 LEFT BY MRS. SEAVER

"The estate of Mrs. Bertha M. Seaver, widow of Andrew Seaver, furniture manufacturer, who died in 1929, was placed at $1,588,461 in an inheritance return filed Friday with County Clerk Edward J. Barrett.

"She willed $94,000 to 25 relatives and friends and provided the remainder should be placed in trust with Northern Trust company for seven relatives. On their deaths, one-third of the principal shall go to heirs of the seven and the balance shall be distributed among Travelers Aid Society, Illinois Society for Prevention of Blindness, Outing Association for Crippled Children, and the Lutheran Woman's League of Chicago.

"Mrs. Seaver lived at 581 Ingleside part, Evanston, and died Nov. 19, 1957, at age 82. The return placed federal estate tax at $436,214 and Illinois tax at $38,428."

I searched my RootsMagic family tree database for Andrew (died 1929) and Bertha Seaver (died 1957) , and did not find them in my database.

I searched on Ancestry.com for Andrew Seaver, born about 1870, and found 1880 to 1920 census records which led me to his parents, William and Anna Seaver, who were born in Norway. I added their family to my RootsMagic family tree, and then found that Andrew E. Seaver married Bertha Moe in 1900 in Chicago. Apparently, they had no children.

I don't know who the seven relatives are who received a share of the trust after Bertha died. My guess is that they are siblings, nieces and nephews of Bertha and Andrew.

Andrew's father, William Seaver, was probably born Viking Sjurson of ytre Kvarmo, Voss, Norway, son of Sjur Knutson and Ingeborg Vikingsdtr. The Sjur Knutson family probably adopted the Seaver surname (it sounds like Sjur, apparently) in the 1870s when Norway required families to give up patronymics and adopt a surname.

I am not related to Andrew or Bertha (Moe) Seaver, but I wish that I had been 60 years ago!

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About Me

I am a native San Diegan, a graduate of San Diego State University, a retired aerospace engineer, a genealogist and a family guy.
My wife (Angel Linda) and I have two lovely daughters, and five darling grandchildren. We love to visit them and have them visit us.
Angel Linda and I love to travel to visit friends and relatives, to sightsee, to cruise or to do genealogy. Our travels have taken us all over the USA, to England, Down Under and Scandinavia.
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